This invention relates to siding panel systems for building structures. More particularly, this invention relates to a combination of horizontal siding panels and clip device for maintaining the integrity of the panel system by providing a means for keeping panels secured to the building structure when adjacent panels become disengaged due to the expansions and contractions of the building structure.
Many forms and shapes of interlocking and overlapping siding panels are widely used on new building structures and for recovering older buildings. Some forms of siding panels require the use of hook-shaped clips for attaching each siding panel to the building structure as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,820,535; 3,110,310 and 3,226,901. Other forms of siding panels are attached directly to the building structure by nailing along a top nailing edge of the siding panel. Such panels, also, generally provide some form of groove near the top edge which receives a complementary hook from the lower edge of an adjacent engaged panel. Generally, installation of such siding panels also includes the use of clips, such as starting clips or locking clips.
Once installed on a building, there is a tendency for the siding panels to display relative movement between the panels and between the panels and the building structure. Such relative movement is due to the normal expansions and contractions of building structures with age, weather variations and temperature changes, and is particularly prevalent in wooden structures wherein the wooden structural members tend to shrink with aging. Such expansion and contraction of the building structure may result in both horizontal and vertical relative movements. If siding panels are attached to building structures without permitting movement or compensation due to such expansions and contractions, then the siding panels may distort, buckle and bend.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,054,012 and 4,079,562 disclose the use of starting clips for maintaining a siding panel interlock while compensating for the relative movement between the panels and the building. Those patents disclose generally allowing relatively horizontal movement between the clips and the siding panel while maintaining the engagement of the starting clip with the siding panel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,679 also discloses a clip which allows for relative horizontal movement between the panels. Such devices, however, do not allow for the relative vertical movement between the siding panels due to the wood joist shrinkage and aging of the building structure. With regard to plastic siding, attempts have been made to compensate for the relative movement of the panels. U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,274 provides for a specially fabricated plastic sliding panel having an interlock which permits substantial bidirectional vertical movements between adjacent panels and between the first panel and the starter strip. U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,076 discloses nailing clips of special construction to provide that the siding is free to move slightly in the direction of its length relative to the wall.
There still exists a need to permit vertical relative movement due to the expansion rod contraction of the building structure and yet restrain siding panels by the use of clips or devices which can be easily and quickly attached to current panel designs without any special tools or other apparatus. It is desirable that a clip device be useful for several different designs or forms of siding panels and that it maintain the integrity of the panel system by restraining any siding panels which may become disengaged due to the relative vertical panel movement due to the expansion and contraction of the building structure and panels.